


Dollhouse: Teatime

by Egosdelirium



Category: Haikyuu!!
Genre: Alternate Universe - Dystopia, Ambiguous/Open Ending, Angst, Background Relationships, Declarations Of Love, Everyone Needs A Hug, Hurt, Hurt No Comfort, Implied/Referenced Torture, Non-Graphic Violence, Oikawa Tooru Needs a Hug, Open to Interpretation, Prisoner of War, Psychological Horror, Psychological Torture, War
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-07-08
Updated: 2020-07-08
Packaged: 2021-03-04 22:26:49
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,419
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25153924
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Egosdelirium/pseuds/Egosdelirium
Summary: "Break my knees, chain me up, make me your puppet. You will never get a word out of this mouth. And I'll die laughing because I'll know I've won, and you've lost, and he's alive and he's breathing and he's beautiful. And you'll never have him".
Relationships: Iwaizumi Hajime/Oikawa Tooru
Comments: 10
Kudos: 61





	Dollhouse: Teatime

One drop, two drops.

  
Tooru sighed and forcibly tore his eyes open, adjusting his vision to the dark room. He knew it was time. His body clock worked immaculately, and it had got quite accustomed to the new routine relatively fast.

In fact, no more than one minute later, the black clad man announced his arrival.

"Number 00009517. You may get up and follow me".

Both perfectly knew Tooru couldn't get up on his own, as his right knee could not sustain his wight. Both chose to ignore it every day.

The boy tried to push himself up from where he was sitting, or rather lumping, on the ground, but his cuffed hands weren't of any help and, soon enough, he collapsed back on the dark earth.

At that, the guard knew it was his time to get him up. It was cruel, really. Pretending to give him a chance to be autonomous, to still preserve what was left of his useless pride, knowing full well that there was no pride left to preserve, and no autonomy to try to achieve.

Tooru hissed as he was hauled up by that same old pair of sturdy arms. He was no doctor, far from it, but he remembered being told that something called "patella" was shattered, and that a ligament down there had torn. The results were an excruciating, tear-inducing knee pain and the total inability to walk by himself.

_"I can check it for you, Oikawa, but I don't think there's much I can do. You'd need a cast that I don't have, and by this point your tibia has probably been damaged too, by rubbing against the femur everytime you stubbornly try to walk on it.."_

Damned Kuroo and his fancy words and his stupidly vast scientific knowledge.

The guard, though, had no interest in the wound, and he dragged him into the white corridor with the same harshness as any other day.

Turn left, then right, then left again.

The brunette was forced to limp on his good leg to match the pace of the older man that was towing him along. They quickly reached the same old room, stopping at the entrance.  
The sign was still affixed there, reading in neat calligraphy:

ᴅᴏʟʟʜᴏᴜsᴇ: ʟᴀʙᴏʀᴀᴛᴏʀʏ 2ʙ - sᴇᴄᴛɪᴏɴ ᴢxᴛ  
ᴏᴘᴇʀᴀᴛᴏʀ: xxxxxxxx

[01010100 01100101 01100001 01110100 01101001 01101101 01100101]

Tooru had never bothered to try and understand the writings or the code; What was inside was so much more terrifying than the ominous cipher on the door, that he had lost all interest in trying to solve that mystery.

Everything proceeded as usual.

Black chair, handcuffs off, rub your wrists. 

_"Tooru"._   
_He smiled as he felt those warm hands on his tense shoulders. "Come back to bed"._   
_"I will, I was just-"_   
_"You were overthinking again"_   
_"Yeah, I was. My Iwa-chan always notices everything uh, so attentive~ Ow! That one hurt!"_   
_"Good"._

_The shorter male sat next to him on the porch._   
_"Tooru"_   
_"Mmh?"_   
_"Talk to me"_

Clock's ticking, look at it, look at it again, bite your lip.

_"There's nothing to talk about"_   
_"You never shut your mouth and you finally decide to when I asked you to spill? You're so full of it"_   
_He smiled, bright and genuine. And also a little naughtily. "There's only one thing I'd want to be full of and you know--Ow! Iwa-chaaaan!". Iwaizumi was smiling as he chided him: "Get your head out of the gutter, shittykawa"._

Black boots hit the floor. One step, two steps.

_"You're so mean to me"_   
_"Maybe if you stopped being so whiny"_   
_"But I'm not!". Iwaizumi cocked one eyebrow, skeptically, but didn't dwell on the topic. Instead, he got closer to Oikawa and laid his head on the brunette's shoulder._

_"You know it's all gonna be okay, right?"_   
_"Yeah, I do now"_   
_"Sap"_   
_"You started it"_   
_"Tooru"_   
_"Mmh?"_   
_"I..-". Hesitant, oh so hesitant. And it was all because of that promise._   
_Oikawa squeezed his hand and planted a feather light kiss on top of it._   
_"I know. Me too"._

"Number 00009517, let's begin".

He closed his eyes, trying to catch his breath.  
It was routine, he didn't have to be afraid. It would all be over soon.

And it would all repeat itself tomorrow, and the day after tomorrow, and the day after that...

"I said, let's begin", a voice reprimanded.

The man who had just spoken dismissed the guard with a wave of his hand and then sat at the opposite side of the table, facing Oikawa.  
The difference between the two was striking; everything about them was screaming "contrast".

The man, or the Doctor, as he told people to call him, was completely dressed in white, from his shoes to the pristine lab coat he wore on top of the rest of his clothes.

Tooru, on the other hand, was still trapped in his jet black combat suit, covered in crimson patches of dried blood.

One was standing, whereas the other barely could.

The cold and calculating look of the older, was met by the younger's tired, empty eyes.

While the Doctor's wrist exhibited a luxurious, brand new watch (probably from Audemars Piguet, if Tooru had to take a guess), the prisoner's only showed angry red bruises caused by the handcuffs that were constantly restricting his blood flow.

The man reached over at his left and grabbed a pearl gray briefcase, gently placing it on the table in front of both of them. He opened it with equal consideration and placed two porcelain tea cups on their matching plates.

He then took a dozen of printed reports out of the very same baggage and started flipping though the pages.

"Number 00009517", he said as he pushed one of those files towards Tooru. "Have you ever spoken to, met, or seen this individual".

ᴋᴜʀᴏᴏ ᴛᴇsᴛᴜʀᴏᴜ

_"Hey, care passing me that knife? I have to clean a whole bunch of those, one more won't hurt"_   
_Oikawa smirked and handed him the bloodied weapon. "Careful, it's sharp"._   
_Kuroo chuckled and didn't waste a second before flipping him off._   
_"Thanks jackass"_   
_"No problem, Tetsu-chan"._

There was no hesitation whatsoever as he answered: "No".

The doctor didn't rebut, just substituted the piece of paper that showed Kuroo's annoying face with a new one.

ᴍᴀᴛsᴜᴋᴀᴡᴀ ɪssᴇɪ

_"So you think he'll say yes?"_   
_"I'm positive, Mattsun, you two are like one person split in two different bodies, you're made for each other"._   
_"Look at you being all cutesy and shit, so uncharacteristical"_   
_"I'll let you know I took this as apersonal offense. I've always been cutesy, or whatever shit you just said". _   
_"Ever so eloquent"_   
_"You know what, I hope Makki says no". Issei busted out laughing at that point and didn't stop rubbing the fact that he had been "So rude! Playing with my love life like that" in Oikawa's face for a whole week._

"Have you ever spoken to, met, or seen this individual?".

"No".

No further comment, another file.

ᴋᴀɢᴇʏᴀᴍᴀ ᴛᴏʙɪᴏ

_"Oikawa-senpai". Tooru wasn't used to seeing those cold, fierce, blue eyes filled with tears and the new sight made him extremely uncomfortable. Still he tried his best to smile his usual smirk and arched an eyebrow in the boy's direction._

_"Will it really be okay?". How could he tell?_   
_They were only two years apart, Tooru wasn't that much more mature, he wasn't wise, he wasn't someone to look up to. It still felt like he had to reassure the kid, so he did._   
_"Tobio-kun, I didn't take you for such a crybaby"._

_Well, he kind of did. At least he tried._

_"..But uhm, I assume we could all have our moments of weakness so. Yeah. I do think it will all be okay, one day"._

_Tobio just nodded, but the tears were gone and those blue pools were back to their usual tranquil stillness._

"What about him? Have you ever met this person?".

"No".

"What about him?".

ᴜsʜɪᴊɪᴍᴀ ᴡᴀᴋᴀᴛᴏsʜɪ

_"You could've done so much better than that"._   
_Tooru felt his blood burn in his veins and he had to physically restrain himself from pouncing on the taller boy._

_"Oikawa, you could have chosen any Division. You're wasted here"._

_His fist was clenched, his jaw was clenched and his entire being felt like it was about to snap._

_"Why didn't you apply for Division 1? You would've surely made it. You have the talent for it-"_

_"ENOUGH". Ushijima looked positively stunned, and deep down Tooru knew that he was being sincere with all his 'you could've done more' bullshit, but he really, really couldn't take it right now._

_"I'm tired of hearing your shit! I'm happy where I am, I'm happy with the people I'm surrounded by. I don't care if it's dangerous. We're at war! Anywhere is dangerous! Yes, I probably won't make it to thirty, I won't have children and I won't grow old with Iwa-chan. I know that, I'm aware of that, I've fucking accepted that. But I don't need to be reminded again and again by that annoying, unfiltered mouth of yours!"._

_His chest was heaving by the end of the speech and that was definitely an indication that he had let himself get too carried away. Ushijima was quietly listening though, so he continued._

_"I don't care about the risk, I'm fine with dying, as long as I get to be next to my people until the very end. I won't leave them behind, Wakatoshi-kun. And if they take me, they can torture me, hit me, rape me and kill me but I **won't** speak. Not even war will take my loyalty away. And neither will you"._

_The silence was solemn, heavy with tension and frustration (mainly from Tooru's own part)._

_"I had never understood your motives before, Oikawa and I'm thankful you have decided to tell me. I won't lie, I still have a hard time accepting that your talent will go to waste, but I find your reasoning to be very noble. From now on, I will respect your wishes and not bother you anymore"._

_A weird sense of satisfaction crept at the back of his mind but he was fast to push it back to where it came from. He regained his composure and tried to messily fix his hair._

_"Thank you, Wakatoshi-kun"._

"No, I've never seen him".

The doctor's eyes were devoid of any emotion, while Tooru's were starting to come more and more alive. Even if those were just ink pictures printed on a paper document, they showed him the faces of those he loved the most, and those he missed the most.

It had been so long since he had got the chance to speak to any of them, to touch any of them, and he probably won't get to do either ever again, but it was okay. He knew it was a possibility.

He had always known.

Division 3 had to protect the civils, save the people. But no one was ever there to protect Division 3. When he enrolled he knew.

_"Are you sure, Oikawa? Division 1 or 2 aren't exactly safe but they're way better than here. They spend all their time looking for us, you know, and eventually they end up finding us. At least in 1 you'll get real weapons and proper combat training. We just risk it all here"._

_"You know, you still have that refreshing vibe to you even when you're covered in dirt. It must be a gift of yours, Suga-chan"._

_The white haired male scoffed with a smile. "Whatever, don't say I didn't warn you though. Follow me"._

"Number 00009517, did you hear what I asked?".

Tooru focused his tired eyes back on the Doctor and shook his head.

"I said, are you sure you want to proceed this way? It will get you nowhere and you are aware of that".

Tooru pondered, weighed all his options and possible responses. Wondered if they had actually managed to beat all the sarcasm out of his system.

They had.

Iwa-chan would be so annoying about it. He could clearly hear his voice, imagine it saying something akin to 'someone finally managed to shut you up, Shittykawa'.

It made him smile.

"Yes".

"You know it's almost four".

"I know". His body was already starting to ache.

"Then won't you change your mind?".

A wild laugh started to form at the back of his throat and it suddenly wildly erupted. The fit was so strong his stomach was almost hurting, along with his cheekbones. He must have looked like a maniac, cackling by himself in a white room meant for interrogations, but then again, he had probably already turned into a maniac and had yet to discover it. Maybe this could be his Eureka moment.

He spoke between the chuckles: "You will never give up will you? You'll destroy me until I'll crawl out of my own skin, right? Of course you will. But it's okay, it's good, I don't care. And you know why I don't care?".

The Doctor didn't ask, and Tooru didn't answer. Instead he cocked up his chin, clearly challenging the other man.

"I dare you to ask me if I know him, c'mon, ask me. Show me his file and ask me if I've ever spoken to him. If I've ever interacted with him. Ask me now!".

Ushijima's document was ordinately placed back with the rest in a pile and the last one was finally handed to Tooru.

ɪᴡᴀɪᴢᴜᴍɪ ʜᴀᴊɪᴍᴇ

He looked so beautiful in the picture, just like he had in person. And that paper made him immortal, unbreakable. Brown eyes began to fill up with tears.

"Ask me if I know him".

"Do you know him?"

"No, I don't".

He looked up, cheeks wet and lips wobbly. "I don't know him. I've never met him. I've never seen him and I have most definitely never talked to him. But I've hugged him so hard it has taken my breath away, and I've kissed him so much it bruised my lips. I slept next to him for so many nights, as the machine guns went off all around us, and we've cried ourselves to sleep in each other's arms.  
If you ever think, even for one second, that I'll tell you anything, anything, about him you're delusional. I'll die a thousand times for him, for all of them.  
You're welcome to try everything: break my knees, chain me up, make me your puppet. You will never get a word out of this mouth. And I'll die laughing because I'll know I've won, and you lost, and he's alive and he's breathing and he's beautiful, and you'll never have him".

And just like that, Iwaizumi's file was out of his sight again, and sat ordinately on top of the paper pile with all the others.

"Moving words, 00009517, but futile. Your pride will lead you to your grave".

"It's not pride".

" _Why did we make that stupid fucking promise? Remind me again Iwa-chan because I can't really remember"._

_"Because we could die tomorrow, both of us, we could die at any moment and I can't hurt you that way"._

_"You think that just that word will hurt me?? More than knowing I could never get to see you again? It's unreasonable-"_

_"It's for me then". Tooru gazed up at the boy, questioningly. Almost accusingly._

_"For you?"._   
_"Yes". The brunette crossed his arms in front of his chest and arched an eyebrow. "There's no need to be so dramatic about it, if you don't feel the same way about me then just say it"._

_"Idiot Oikawa! Of course I feel the same, but if you say that I'll never let you leave! I'll never be able to let you go, and I'm being selfish because I'm afraid they'll take you from me and if you say those words I-I". Were those tears in Iwaizumi's dark eyes?_

_"I'm doing it for myself. The promise is for me, because I'm selfish and afraid. And if you leave my world will crumble down and I'll be nothing and I-I.."._

Both of them were rough around the edges, hard to understand and hard to like. They fought and argued almost everyday since they were five and none of the two ever wanted to apologize first. They were messy, loud and pretentious, but calloused fingers were gentle on soft skin, and their kisses were always tender.

Tooru had later come to realize words weren't necessary, in fact he had grown to belive that words would never be enough to express what he felt inside anytime iwaizumi would so much as glance in his direction.

If he had to try and describe it he'd say it was like a fire. Not one of those fires that burned bright and died fast, no, rather a relentless flame that kept on shining even in the cold of the night. He had never feared the dark with Hajime by his side, and the chill had never left him shaking.

And so Death didn't look that scary anymore.

Humans probably hated it because it takes and takes and takes, and doesn't give anything back. But to Tooru it was giving and giving and giving, and what he had to pay for what it gave was nothing but a small prize.

Even the sun seemed less compared to Iwaizumi, and what was that small prize compared to the happiness of the universe's brightest star? 

"Is it not?"

"No. I lost my pride, a long time ago. But this, this I'll never lose".

"Care to enlighten me?".

"It's love, Doc. The thing that makes us wake up every morning and sings us to sleep every night. Nothing else but love. Maybe one day you'll feel it too".

Both sat in silence, listening to the hands of the fancy watch as they moved around the dial.

"It's four o'clock, you know what it means".

Tooru nodded and closed his eyes.

" _Electricity's gone again, you know what it means?"_  
 _"That I can't charge my phone?"_  
 _"We can see the stars". The brunette's eyes lit up. "But Iwa-chan, last week you said it was too dangerous!"_

_"Yeah and then I got shot in the shoulder while trying to buy some carrots, helped me realize anything is dangerous in a war zone. Are you coming or not?"._

_"..And that right there is the Belt of Orion, isn't it pretty?? It's my favorite constellation"._

_Tooru turned around to discover that the shorter boy's eyes were already looking at their favorite constellation. He couldn't help but blush as Iwaizumi's gaze skimmed over his face._

_"Yeah", it was barely above a whisper, but Oikawa was close enough to hear it. "It's very pretty"._

_They melted into a kiss that tasted of hope and wishes murmured under the stars._   
  


"I know" he responded, eyes still closed. "It's Teatime".

"Precisely". He heard the liquid being poured into the cups, sliding smoothly against the porcelain walls.

"I broke the promise that night, though. I told him I loved him, but he was sleeping. Still, I had to let it out or my chest would've burst. I said it once and it felt so good I started to repeat it like a mantra". Tooru's smile was genuine. He opened his eyes and took one of the two cups in his hands. 

"And he did too, he told me he loved every night because he talks in his sleep. I've never had the courage to reveal that to him anyway".

The two cups clanked together lightly, some tea spilled on the white table.

"To love, then". The older man toasted.

"Yeah, and to my Iwa-chan. May you never find him. If you do, I'll personally drag you to hell with me". 

If his knee had to break more and more every day until nothing would be left of it, then so be it.

Tooru was content with that. He'd stay in the Dollhouse, hoping that Hajime would build one, a real one, for his daughter one day in the future, and that he'd tell her of how brave Oikawa had been. Maybe he'd tell her how much they loved each other. Maybe not. It was fine either way. 

Tooru was content with seeing Iwaizumi's file everyday, before Teatime, if that was the only way he could see him again. 

When the pain got too much, he would close his eyes and picture the night sky and those beautiful, infinite stars and everything would be okay again. 

_Did I do good Hajime?_

**Author's Note:**

> This was an experiment I guess, so let me know what you thought about it!  
> Thank you for reading ❤️


End file.
